Farm to Massage Table

Fresh, local and organic describes the food—and the facials—at these top nature-y escapes

By

Sara Clemence

September 24, 2011

Rose-geranium jam, cranberries with cardamom, maple syrup...they may sound drool-worthy, but spas at some high-end hotels aren't reserving these kinds of goodies for their cafés.

Over the past couple of years, the fresh-and-local food trend has made its way out of the kitchen, inspiring spas to supplement—and sometimes replace—traditional potions with concoctions made from seasonal, often organic ingredients. Some of the benefits are obvious: The spas can tout their unique treatments, local growers get more business and clients can feel like they're using more natural products to clean, smooth and moisturize their skin.

But the Spa at Farmhouse in California's Russian River Valley is also thinking about the well-being of its therapists. "If one person comes in and uses products with artificial fragrances, it's probably not going to affect anyone's health," says Loma Alexander, one of the spa directors. "But what about inhaling that all day in a small space?" With these treatments, the biggest worry isn't whether you inhale, but how to keep the munchies at bay.

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Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa in Milton, N.Y.
Buttermilk Falls Inn

Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa, Milton, N.Y.

The Treatment: Lavender-Honey Massage

This Hudson Valley retreat has a 75-acre property that provides ingredients for its restaurant and day spa. Last fall the spa offered a special massage with lavender and honey from the property's beehives; this October, it will release a signature series of treatments using handmade oils infused with herbs like rosemary and thyme. Get it while it lasts. "We're going to have the fall harvest of herbs," says C.J. Hartwell, spa director and general manager. "Once that's gone, that's gone." buttermilkfallsinn.com

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The Hyatt at Olive 8
Hyatt Hotels

Elaia, Seattle

The Treatment: Cranberry Geranium Vanilla Wrap

The Market Fresh treatments at Seattle's first LEED-certified hotel, the Hyatt at Olive 8, include produce from the Pacific Northwest and change throughout the year. This fall, guests can opt for the antioxidant-rich wrap, with a body mask made from crushed Washington State cranberries and geranium, or the Cinnamon Cardamom Coffee Sugar Scrub—so appropriate for this caffeine-loving town. $120 for each 60-minute treatment, olive8.hyatt.com

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The Osthoff Resort grows heirloom-variety herbs that are incorporated into services.
Courtesy of Aspira Spa

Aspira, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

The Treament: Cedars Massage

Aromatic cedar gathered from around Osthoff Resort, a holistic destination resort on the shores of Elkhart Lake, is infused into massage oils used for this treatment—and laid on the skin to finish it off. The 20,000-square-foot spa also uses local, antioxidant-rich wild elderberries and elderberry flowers in facials, and grows heirloom-variety herbs that are incorporated into services.$145 for 50 minutes, $190 for 80 minutes, osthoff.com

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Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa

Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid, N.Y.

The Treatment: Adirondack Maple Sugar Body Scrub

Local maple syrup is one of the primary ingredients in this sweet-smelling exfoliation. Depending on the time of year, the spa may whip up fresh batches of the scrub several times a week, using maple sugar of different coarseness for varying degrees of skin-smoothing power. $130 for 50 minutes, mirrorlakeinn.com

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Four Seasons Hualalai Spa on the Big Island of Hawaii
Kyle Rothenborg/Four Seasons

Four Seasons Hualalai Spa, Big Island, Hawaii

The Treatment: Hualalai Macadamia Nut Scrub

The highlight of this Hawaiian spa may be the Apothecary, a selection of 20 local (but to many guests, exotic) ingredients, such as ti leaves, volcanic salts and hibiscus flowers grown on the property. They can be custom blended for treatments like this exfoliating scrub, which uses a blend of Hawaiian salts and the crushed hulls of island macadamia nuts, followed by a shower and body butter application. $175 for 50 minutes, fourseasons.com/hualalai

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The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., has a new spa called the Corbu Spa & Salon.
Heath Robbins Photography

Corbu Spa & Salon, Cambridge, Mass.

The Treatment: Fall Pumpkin Spice Scrub and Wrap

The brand-new spa at the Charles Hotel was named in homage to Le Corbusier, whose only North American building is at nearby Harvard University. The spa director makes products by hand, using ingredients grown on the property or sourced at the local farmer's market. These two fall treatments, which include pumpkin seed flakes, organic spices and specially infused massage oil, are only available until Dec. 21. $85 for scrub, $110 for wrap and facial massage, charleshotel.com

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Spa at Farmhouse
Edward Duarte

Spa at Farmhouse, Forestville, Calif.

The Treatment: The Honey Glow

There is plenty of crossover between the restaurant and the spa at this luxurious wine country inn—local peach jams might be served at breakfast and also spread on skin. The spa menu is constantly updated to reflect local harvests (expect figs soon), but honey is a year-round staple. For this treatment, fresh honey from the hotel owners' farm is combined with fruit and flowers. The treatment starts with a full-body scrub followed by a back mask, a firming serum made with local grapeseed extracts, a honey-based massage and a mini-facial with custom-blended preparations. $410 for three hours, farmhouseinn.com/spa.html

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iStockphoto

DIY Recipe: Chamomile and Apple Eye Compress

"The Apple of Your Eye," a compress used at the Spa at Farmhouse in Forestville, Calif., helps soothe the eyes and reduce inflammation.

1. Bring a cup of water to a boil. 2. Add a teaspoon of fresh chamomile flowers and let them steep for five minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the brew. Allow it to cool. 3. Grate half of an apple and submerge in the brew to moisten fully. 4. Fill empty tea bags or fabric sachets with the mixture and place in a bowl. Pour remaining liquid over bags. Cover bowl and chill it in the refrigerator. 5. Place chilled bags over eyes.

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